405 CoUege Street P. 0. Box 40

~~!ty Lafayette, TN 37083-0040

Membership Corporation www.tcemc.org

DATE:

FROM:

TO:

SUBJECT:

Execu ·

P.O. Box 40

Lafayette, Tennessee 37083

615-688-2100

pthom pson @tcemc.org

Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Staff

Expression of Interest - Rural Experiment

Docket No. 10-90

Background and Nature of Submitting Entity

Telephone: (615) 666-2111 ToU Free: 1-800-369-2111

Fax: (615) 688-2141

In 1935 the Rural Electric Administration (REA) was created by President Franklin D. Roosevelt to bring electricity to rural America. Wasting little time, the founders ofTri-County Electric organized.in 1936 to serve rural areas in three counties- and Tri-County Electric has experienced consistent growth over the past 78 years. Our wholesale power is supplied by the Tennessee Va lley Authority (TVA).

We have 8 offices (4 in Tennessee: Celina, Hartsville, Lafayette (HQ) and Westmoreland; and 4 in Kentucky: Burkesville, Edmonton, Scottsville and Tompkinsville), 17 substations, and over 5,450 miles of distribution line, covering a service area of roughly 1,800 square miles.

We are among the largest cooperatives in both Kentucky and Tennessee and provide a wide range of services to our approximately 50,500 members-owners. Tri-County Elec~ric serves all or part of the following counties: Allen, Cumberland, Metcalfe, Monroe, Adair, Barren, Clinton & Warren in Kentucky; Macon, Clay, Trousdale, Sumner, Jackson, Overton &d Smith in Tennessee. (See Figure 1, below.)

In an effort to reduce its operating expenses, Tri-County Electric began running fiber between all of the cooperative's substations and offices. While insta lling fiber in Hartsville, Tri-County Electric responded to and won the bid for an RFP sent out by the Four Lake RIDA for a fiber project at PowerCom Industria l Park (formerly the Tennessee Valley Authority's Hartsville Nuclear Plant site).

1

Figure 1: Tri-County Electric Service Area

Geographic Territory and Anchor Institutions Tri-County Electric's proposed experiment would serve approximately 2,900 residential customers and 45 commercial customers in Trousdale County, Tennessee in the southwestern portion of our service area. A complete list of the Census blocks that we anticipate serving is included in Attachment 1.

We also anticipate serving the following community anchor institutions:

• Trousdale County School System Central Office • Trousdale County Elementary School • Jim B. Satterfield Middle School

• Trousdale County High School • Tennessee College of Applied Technology- Hartsville • Fred A. Vaught Memorial Library

• Trousdale Medical Center • State of Tennessee 151

h Judicial District Attorney General's Office • State of Tennessee 151

h Judicial District Chancellor's Office • Trousdale County Senior Citizens Center

2

Proposed Technology and Scalability We propose to construct a fiber-to-the-premises (FTIP) network to serve residents, smal l businesses, and community anchor institutions. This technology is scalable through reprogramming, upgrading equipment, and adding service drops to new homes along the fiber routes.

State and Local Government Support for Project Tri-County Electric's proposed broadband experiment has the strong support of the local government in Trousdale County. By a vote of 16 - 0, the Trousdale County Commission passed a resolution (attached) at their January 2014 meeting requesting that the Tennessee General Assemb ly pass a Private Act allowing "a rural electric cooperative that owns a fiber network and provides electric service to Trousdale County, a county with a population of more than 7,000 but less than 8,000 according to the 2010 US Census, may contract wit h any electric account to provide broadband service to any resident not served by a rura l te lephone cooperative as of January 1, 2014."

Senator Ferrell Haile and Representative Terri Lynn Weaver, the legislators representing Trousdale County, filed legislation supporting the county's request.

Existing Providers North Central Telephone Cooperative (northern Trousdale County) and Comcast (city limits) each cover a portion of the county, and AT&T provides landline phone service throughout the county; however many residents do not have access to broadband. AT&T has stated that they offer fiber in other areas, but the President of AT&T Tennessee has stated at multiple recent meetings related to the Trousdale County Commission reso lution that Trousda le County residents only need wireless internet- not fiber. Many of those who do have broadband service through AT&T and/or Comcast are not satisfied and would like to have other options.

Project Timeline Because of our efforts to run fiber between our offices and substations, the backbone of this project has been completed with the instal lation of fiber on Highway 25. Preliminary engineering has begun on the new project. Tri-County Electric cou ld begin serving the f irst residential customers within a few months of funding being approved.

Total Investment We estimate that the total fiber bui ld-out (including transmission, distribution, service drops and electronics) will require a $23 million capita l investment. We do not anticipate requiring any ongoing funding for operations.

3

Attachment 1: Census Blocks to Be Covered

High-Cost Extremely High

Cost

471690901001099 471690901001099

471690901003049 471690901003049

471690901001088 471690901001088

471690901001113 471690901001113

471690901003051 471690901001008

471690901001008 471690901002039

471690901002039 471690901003019

471690901003019 471690901003018

471690901003018 471690901001109

471690901001072 471690901001015

471690901002028 471690901003017

471690901001109 471690901001044

471690901001015 471690901002048

471690901003017 471690901001116

471690901001044 471690901001007

471690901002048 471690901001017

471690901001116 471690901002001

471690901001007 471690901001084

471690901001017 471690901001058

471690901002001 471690901001080

471690901001084 471690901001056

471690901001058 471690901001005

471690901001080 471690901001102

471690901001056 471690901002043

471690901001005 471690901001069

471690901001068 471690901001112

471690901001102 471690901001114

471690901002043 471690901003055

471690901001069 471690902001017

471690901001112 471690901001103

471690901001114 471690901002053

471690901003055 471690901001090

471690902001017 471690901001067

4

High-Cost Extremely High

Cost

471690901001103 471690901001079

471690901002053 471690901001101

471690901001090 471690901001076

471690901001067 471690901001081

471690901001079 471690901003038

471690901001101 471690901001064

471690901001076 471690901003056

471690901001012 471690901001110

471690901001081 471690901001065

471690901003038 471690901003090

471690901001064 471690901001087

471690901003056 471690901002013

471690901001110 471690901002051

471690901001057 471690901001047

471690901001065 471690901001100

471690901003090 471690901001091

471690901001087 471690901001086

471690901002013 471690901001059

471650206032036 471690901001021

471690901002051 471690901003091

471690901001047 471690901001061

471690901001100 471690901002055

471690901001091 471690901001121

471690901001086 471690901001073

471690901001059 471690901001098

471690901001021

471690901003091

471690901001061

471690901002055

471690901001121

471690901001073

471690901001098

5

Hartsville/Trousdale County Metropolitan Government Mark L. Beeler, Commission Chairman

Senator Ferrell Haile 301 6th Ave North Suite lOA Legislative Plaza Nashville, TN 37243

Representative Terri Lynn Weaver 301 6th Ave North Suite 105 War Memorial Bldg Nashville, TN 37243

Dear Sen. Haile and Rep. Weaver,

210 Broadway Hartsville, TN 37074

January 27, 2014

Our County Commission approved the resolution requesting the Private Act to allow Tri County Electric to provide broadband service to electric customers in Trousdale County during the meeting held on 1/27/14. It was approved by a vote of 16 YES and 0 NO.

I have scanned our Resolution and the draft for the Private Act and they are attached. The draft for the Private Act has been developed and approved by CTAS legal staff, our County Attorney, Betty Lou Taylor, and Ken Witcher, Attorney for Tri County Electric. I hope it meets with your approval.

We will send a hard copy via US mail also. Again, thanks for your willingness to support this effort.

Mark L. Beeler Commission Chairman

RESOLUTION # 2014 - 02- 331

RESOLUTION REQUESTING THE PASSAGE OF A PRIVATE ACT TO ALLOW A RURAL ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE TO CONTRACT TO

PROVIDE BROADBAND SERVICE TO ANY ELECTRIC ACCOUNT THAT IS NOT SERVED BY A RURAL TELEPHONE COOPERATIVE.

WHEREAS : Hartsville/Trousda le County Metropolitan Government has sought ways to provide broadband service for its residents.

AND, WHEREAS, A rural electric cooperative now owns a dark fiber network and provides electric service to the residents of Trousdale County.

AND WHEREAS: It is in the best interest of Trousdale County's residents to have access to a dependable and affordable alternative for broadband service. Enhanced broadband service is a tool for improved economic development in the County.

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED: The Hartsville/Trousdale County Commission requests that a Private Act be passed by the Tennessee General Assembly whereby a rural electric cooperative that owns a fiber network and provides electric service to Trousdale County, a county with a population of more than 7,000 but less than 8,000 according to the 2010 US Census, may contract with any electric account to provide broadband service to any resident not served by a rural telephone cooperative as of January 1, 2014.

J.L YES L No

Commission Chairman

./it ( ~ (. UC.<->-,C' \ Coun y Clerk

AN ACT to authorize certain rural electric cooperatives in Trousdale County to provide broadband internet service to electric customers not served by a rural telephone cooperative.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:

Notwithstanding any other law to the contrary,

SECTION I. A rural electric cooperative that owns a fiber network and provides

electric service to Trousdale County, a county with a population of more than 7,000 but

less than 8,000 according to the 2010 US Census, shall have the power to provide

broadband internet service to any electric customer not served by a rural telephone

cooperative as of January 1, 2014.

SECTION 2. This Act shall have no effect unless it is approved by a two~thirds

(2/3) vote of the Hartsville/Trousdale County Commission. Its approval or nonapproval

shall be proclaimed by the presiding officer of the Hartsville/Trousdale County Commission

and certified by such officer to the Secretary of State.

SECTION 3. For the purpose of approving or rejecting the provisions of this Act,

it shall be effective upon becoming a law, the public welfare requiring it. For all other

purposes, it shall become effective upon being approved as provided in Section 2.